What makes a positive experience?
Offline/online communication and rapport enhancement in Airbnb positive
reviews
‘Sharing economy’ platforms such as Airbnb have recently given
rise to new travel trends in which electronic word of mouth and interpersonal
contact are central. This study examines 90 positive reviews, with a threefold
objective: first, analyse what makes Airbnb a social platform; second,
understand online/offline rapport enhancement prior to and during the Airbnb
experience; and third, examine the main rapport enhancement strategies in users’
evaluations. The results show that while reviewers place great importance on
transactional wants before the experience, during face-to-face contact sociality
rights become more important. After the Airbnb experience, however, the main
rapport strategies point to enhancing the addressee’s face, while identity is
constantly co-constructed. The present study intends to bring to the fore the
function of positive rapport in the Airbnb experience, in an online system in
which the management of communicative skills may be the main tool for success –
or failure.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Airbnb as a sharing economy business
- 3.User-generated online reviews in the domain of tourism
- 4.Rapport management and online/offline participation
- 5.Methodology
- 6.Results
- 6.1The platform: Online/offline communication and profile information
- 6.2The reviews: Rapport enhancement and communication stages in Airbnb
- 6.2.1Mediated rapport construction/enhancement prior to experience
- 6.2.2Non-mediated rapport management during the travel experience
- 6.2.3The reviews as rapport enhancers after the travel experience
- 7.Discussion and conclusions
- Notes
-
References
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Cited by
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Hernández-López, María de la O
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